42 minute read
Dorset Island Discs
“James Herriott has a lot to answer for” - Dorset Island Discs
David Sidwick is about to celebrate his first anniverary as Dorset’s Police Crime Commissioner. He shares his top eight music choices with us
David Sidwick was elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset in May 2021. David was born and raised in Dorset, and his working life has been spent in the pharmaceutical industry. For nearly two decades, his company STAC Consultancy facilitated the education of more than 17,500 secondary care consultants in areas such as chronic pain, epilepsy, dementia and multiple sclerosis.
£5,000 for magic
While on holiday in the US, David and his wife visited a key shop – which offered magic tutorials as a side line (of course it did - Ed). David had always been keen to learn, and he immediately signed up. The owner of the shop then provided David and his wife with tickets for the Magic Castle in Los Angeles – a venue only open to registered magicians, and their specially invited guests. The Harry Potteresque experience of visiting this clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts cemented David’s love of magic – and lead him, years later, to being paid £5,000 for his magic skills. In fairness, it wasn’t a big show: he was working with a training company who were struggling to enliven a course on organisation and planning for pharma sales reps – David pitched the idea of doing it via a magic routine, and they accepted!
Dinner dates
Apart from politicians, David can put on his CV that he has had dinner with Sir Terry Wogan, Sir Patrick Stewart, Raymond Blanc, Dan and Peter Snow, Rick Stein, George Lazenby - and Q! His favourite dinner date? “Sir Terry Wogan. By a long way. What a lovely, lovely man. He just got slightly squiffy with my wife! Lady Wogan reassured me it ‘happens all the time’.”
And so to David’s eight music choices, along with how and why they stuck in his life:
The Quartermasters Stores
My parents ran an off licence, and their only time off throughout my childhood was Sunday afternoons (2-7pm!). This meant I spent lots of my free time with my grandparents, and treasured Sunday afternoon trips with mum and dad. The Quartermaster Stores was the song we always sang in the car, and hearing it takes me right back to sitting on the back seat, heading home from a day in the Dorset countryside.
The James Herriott Theme
I grew up determined to be a vet. Until the age of 21, it was all I wanted to be. But just before my final exams, I was very unwell – I did the exams, but underperformed and failed to get the grades. Reassuringly, I was offered a place at Bristol to study Anatomical Science, with the plan of applying again to switch courses the following year. However, in the meantime James Herriot appeared on TV, and the world and his wife suddenly wanted to be a vet. Competition was so fierce I never did get my vet placement and after finishing my degree I joined the Pharma industry. James Herriott has a lot to answer for.
Hallelujah Leonard Cohen
In the year 2000 my wife walked into a bar where I was drinking… and I fell in love. She is a huge Cohen fan, and this will always remind me of her. She’s supported me through three long years of full time campaiging to be PCC. We fit. I love her to bits.
The Gambler Kenny Rogers
I love a song with a story, and this is just a great tale of redemption! I’ve learned over the years that I’m just a visual learner; it’s one of the reasons that I often struggle with classical music, it’s difficult to absorb unless I can see it visually too.
Jerusalem
For me this just resonates with everything I love about the Dorset countryside. In my Pharma rep days I would drive the length and breadth of the county, hunting down tiny villages to find the local GP surgeries. I developed a deep love of the special, quirky, often hidden parts of our county. It’s that feeling that drives one of my main policing commitments – I’m aware that we really need to get things right for the enormous rural part of our county. Until this year the Rural Crime Team has been effectively a token gesture - it has now trebled in size, and is being properly funded.
Every Breath You Take The Police
Oh, this song just screams STALKER, doesn’t it? I know many perceive it as a love song, and Sting says it’s for his daughter… but to me it’s just a personal representation of one of the most nasty crimes, and one which has only got worse as modern technology has developed. I am determined to change the victim experience of stalking in Dorset – I have installed an independent advisor to help victims, and this year I asked the police to scrutinise the Stalking Protection Orders, how they’re used and to be certain they are correctly resourced. In times past this was one of
DORSET ISLAND DISCS those crimes which was often shrugged off as ‘nothing we can do’ – and that is simply no longer the case.
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen
Okay, I can’t sing a note. I really can’t. But I don’t care – I’m a proud lover of karaoke, and this is the one I sing! No one ever faulted my ambition… In the movie of the same name, Freddie Mercury’s life is openly intertwined with his drug use, and the song segues nicely as a representation of my work on drug issues. Dorset has one the top ten areas of opioid and cocaine use in the UK. That’s not a stat I’m proud of, and we’re working from many angles to ensure we don’t stay on the hit list. It’s not a simple solution, obviously, but recently five PCCs working together saw an operation take £400,000 of drugs off the streets. In Dorset with Operation Viper we’re addressing County Lines, drug dealers, and anti-social drug users, but there’s still so much more to do. Apologies, slightly off my Bohemian Rhapsody track! a philosophy. I think we need to strive to be Winnie the Pooh, not Eeyore.
And if the waves were to wash all your records away but you had time to save just one, which would it be?
Monty Python – if I’m stuck alone on a desert island, I’m going to need some cheering up.
The Bright Side of Life Monty Python
Because we all need some JOY! We have to keep looking forward, staying positive. It’s a silly, fun song, but also it’s about
My book
The Lord of the Rings. It’s so much more than the classic tale of good vs. evil. My favourite part of the book(s) – I’m taking the complete collection in one volume and you can’t stop me – is the part the movie franchise entirely skipped. It’s a testament to our countryside, and a cry against industrialisation. The part when the hobbits return to the Shire is one of the most powerful and resonant.
My luxury item
Robinson Crusoe, the board game. I love board games (I have an occasional slot on Hope FM as their resident board game fanatic) – it’s a family activity, and a slight obsession. I have a collection of 120, and I just love playing them. Unusually you can play Robinson Crusoe as a one player game (handy on my island), and I thought it might provide some useful hints and tips on survival too.
Click here to listen to David’s entire playlist on YouTube
POLITICS
by Simon Hoare
All views are welcome!
The Archbishop of Canturbury has every right to comment on political decisions – and politicians must listen, argues Simon Hoare MP
Every day that the House of Commons sits, the day’s proceedings begin with prayers. Those prayers are led by the Speaker’s Chaplain. We pray for wise counsel, for the Queen, The Commonwealth and for the Country. We pray that we be motivated by the best of intentions and that we set aside all private interests and prejudices. This part of the Parliamentary day is never broadcast. It is intensely private. Irrespective of the Speakers’ religion, if indeed they have any, the Chaplain must be drawn from the Anglican Church. The Palace of Westminster is just that, a palace. The Chaplaincy is known as a Royal Peculiar (a somewhat peculiar title of itself) because the appointment is made with the permission and agreement of the Sovereign. The Sovereign herself is of course, Supreme Governor of the Church of England. At the other end of the building in the House of Lords, Church of England Bishops sit, by dint of office, solely because we have an Established Church, and that Church has to be represented within the Legislature: the Lords Spiritual and Temporal. The Lord Chancellor of England & Wales is involved with the recommendation of Bishops to the Sovereign. The upcoming Queen’s Speech will conclude with the time-honoured phrase: “I pray that the Blessings of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels”. The relationship between (Established) Church and State is manifest and intricately interwoven. It will remain so unless or until the Church of England is disestablished. I gleaned from Radio 4 (another National Treasure) that only the UK and Iran have clerics within their respective legislatures as a matter of right. I shall leave that particular fact there.
Free speech
I raise the above to try to demonstrate why it is perfectly proper for our religious leaders to be able to speak out on issues of politics or policy. They do so from a moral/ ethical starting point. Those bishops can make their points in the House of Lords and no one would bat an eyelid. But some would have you believe, make it from the pulpit, and the terrors of Hell are unleashed and the foundations of Civilisation shaken to their
Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey (or the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster to give it its correct title) is a “Royal Peculiar” under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign and not to any archbishop or bishop.
very core. Commentary from our religious should be challenging, thought provoking and invite soul searching. Woe betide we should have clerics along the lines of Are You Being Served’s young Mr Grace who only seemed to intone ‘you’re all doing very well’. I am a Roman Catholic and wear my faith lightly. I try not to moralise or believe I can deduce the view of The Almighty myself. I like to hear the views of leaders of all religions. However, what I do know is that Christ’s message, at the forefront of so many minds during the Easter Season, was challenging. Outcast shepherds rather than local notables at the Nativity Stable. Prostitutes, tax collectors welcomed. The innocence of children preferred over their elders. Hypocrisy, pride and hubris all shot down. The poor rewarded over the rich. If Christ himself challenged the rulers of the day, faced into the accepted wisdoms, grabbed people and shook them, why shouldn’t those who carry forward the Apostolic message today? It is indeed their duty and calling to do so. Criticism is never comfortable to hear. We are all human. We know that. But being uncomfortable and challenged is a necessary part of our daily and political discourse. We cannot shy away from it. Criticism is not always right. It does not necessarily lead to a Government or public policy having to be changed or abandoned. It does not always have to be elegantly phrased or robed in some Delphic, nuanced cloak that is beyond understanding to all but the Mystics. Sometimes I will agree. Other times I won’t. However, I will champion up until the end their right to speak out. Any politician who seeks to diminish that right, belittle the speaker or mute the voice cannot lay legitimate claim to the mantle of democrat or demonstrate an understanding as to how our delicate and centuriesdeveloped modus operandi works.
POLITICS
Vote for those you trust
Events at a Dorset council meeting made national headlines, but ultimately overshadowed the importance of the vote, says Labour’s Pat Osborne
You may have missed events at a Dorset Council meeting last month. First, the Tories voted against a motion calling for national legislation to be strengthened to allow councils to reject fossil fuel applications. Second, a vote favour of a motion calling for the opening up of more oil and coal fields in the UK. It seems clear that Dorset Tories were never serious about taking action to avert a climate catastrophe, and their support of a Climate Emergency Declaration in recent years feels nothing more than ‘greenwash’. In short, this is a significant backwards step for Dorset Council that shows the Tories can’t be trusted on climate. Sadly, these events were overshadowed by two ladies with a tube of glue who stuck themselves to a table to interrupt proceedings as a protest against the motions. With the ‘glance and scroll’ many of us now consume the news, it was this desperate but illconceived way they expressed their message (rather than the message itself) that took the headlines both locally and nationally. The Tories will no doubt be feeling relieved that they were gifted the opportunity to brush off legitimate climate concerns by fanning the flames of controversy around what appeared to be little more than a storm in a teacup.
Stay accountable
Dorset Tories shouldn’t simply be let off the hook for inflicting a deliberate act of climate crisis self-harm on all of us. Neither is it necessary to take extreme, headline grabbing action to hold them to account. If you’re as serious about the climate emergency as I am, you’ll write to your local Tory councillor and tell them what you think about those votes. Then you’ll vote in the next election in favour of a candidate that you feel you actually can trust on climate.
“We’re focusing on the wrong people”
The Government is punishing the victims of cross-channel trafficking, not the perpetrators, says north Dorset Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman.
I had only just got over the ‘let them eat cake’ resonance of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, when I heard of the proposal to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda on a one-way ticket. I am probably being a bit unfair, but I was immediately reminded of Jonathan Swift’s ‘Modest Proposal.’ Its title carries on’…For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country and For making them Beneficial to the Publick’. The Proposal, of course, is that the rich should eat the poor starvelings, (preferably in a casserole!). So, how is it that people with the multi-national background of the Prime Minster, Chancellor and Home Secretary have stewed up such a proposal allowing them to sit in judgement over the future lives of fugitives from war, repression and poverty?
Fair and reasonable?
It beggars belief that the way to break the criminal gangs is to victimise their prey even further. The ‘system’ seems to have lost its ability to be fair and reasonable and is lashing out with this makeor-break, immoral, unjust and damaging idea. Much of the problem is born of the notion, now institutionalised, that we must make asylum application very slow and very hard because otherwise “they” (whoever “they” are) will all want to try to jump the immigration queue. On the other hand, coming down hard in an internationally cooperative way on the smugglers seems wholly right and proper. With the right investment in co-operative surveillance and intelligence, it cannot be beyond the wit of man to find them, and raise the stakes of their game considerably whilst delivering fair and reasonable asylum solutions. Whatever the outcome of our local elections, there is a strong case for those representatives forming the new unitary Somerset Council to leave their party badges at home. It will take a massive effort to make the new council work. If it all starts off on party lines, Us v Them, the losers are likely to be the people expecting the services and the positive changes they have been promised. These are hard yards building a new perspective, culture, system and process. Let’s approach it with goodwill all round.
It’s not just a political slogan - we simply have to, argues the Green Party’s Ken Huggins
‘Build Back Better’. Great ambition, or just another meaningless slogan designed to make people think you’re worth voting for ? Can we actually ‘Build Back Better’? Of course we can, and the blunt truth is that we simply have to. Not least because the present parlous state of the planet has been brought about by the failings of the existing political & economic models. They have allowed human greed for money and power to create systems that put profit before people and planet. With disastrous consequences, as so many of us are now beginning to realise. First, though, we have to answer more questions: who are we going to build back better for, what does building back better mean, and how are we going to go about it? Answering those questions honestly will require us to set aside our differences, and work together. Not an easy task for some, I know, but surely an essential one. The answer to the first question has to be ‘Everyone’. And not just in the interests of equality, as vitally important as that is. The ever-growing divide between the Haves and the Have Nots threatens to bring down our whole society. If that were to be allowed to happen then we would all lose, rich and poor alike. I was much heartened by the recent by-election in Lyme & Charmouth, which saw a slump in voter support for all three main parties and an astonishing 27% swing towards the Green Party. My pleasure was not because ‘We’ beat ‘Them’ but because the result shows that the mood of ordinary people is continuing to shift as their disillusionment grows with the failings and inequality of the present system. It also means there is now another voice on Dorset Council speaking for people and planet. What’s not to like !
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Has a local issue incurred your wrath? Disagree with a BV article or columnist? Delighted with the service at a local business? Whatever your burning issue – let us know your thoughts. Join the others who write to us every month to express their views. Please send emails to letters@theblackmorevale.co.uk.
Thank you, Gillingham
I would like to send my sincere thanks to three very kind Gillingham people. On Wednesday morning 6 April I was cycling along Queen Street and had an accident which resulted in me being taken to hospital via ambulance - I had sustained a broken elbow. The care, kindness and response from Rose Love, Susannah (resident of Queen Street) and a construction worker from nearby was superb. I need to extend my heartfelt thanks to them.
Kathleen Holden, Zeals
On low carbon farming
I agree with James Cossins column (BV April issue, p74). that we need to take food production in the UK seriously, not rely so much on imports, and that food shortages are an ever increasing danger. However in one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries we have to take the regeneration of nature seriously too. Intensive farming, with a high reliance on fertilisers (also discussed in George Hosford’s excellent column in the same issue), have degraded soils to a dangerous level over the last 70 years and made agriculture a major source of carbon emissions. Using this system we may have less than 30 years of top soil remaining to feed ourselves. An integrated approach is both possible and desirable which produces low carbon agriculture, restores soils, combines growing crops with rewilding marginal land and caring for hedgerows and secures the UK’s food supply. It won’t happen if we keep making all the same old mistakes. The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill could provide us with that approach. Google it and ask your MP and local councillors to support it.
John Marsh, Sherborne.
Neither the climate crisis nor the biodiversity collapse will wait for more favourable sociopolitical conditions for us to take a grip on our future. Whether we like it or not, it’s essential to support a global transition towards sustainable food systems, within which organic farming and other agroecological approaches are key. The latest IPCC report says that global temperature is likely to increase by more than 3ºC in the coming decades. Severe harvest failures will become common. The UK is already one of the world’s most naturedepleted countries – in the bottom 10% globally and last in the G7. The grim reality is that we have prioritised food above the environment for the last 60 years. There is much talk of the need to intensify food production, but one third of food produced globally is going to waste. Just 55% of the world’s crop calories are directly eaten by humans; 36% is used for animal feed and 9% for industrial use. We need fundamental change in our diet, our food system and our consumption, not just ‘more food’. The UK’s reliance on imported feed, fuel and other inputs are being magnified through the lens of Putin’s war but these issues within our food supply chain are not new. We need systems that rely on less intensive use of increasingly scarce inputs in large part derived from fossil fuel resources. Continued intensification will undoubtedly create an
even greater long-term threat to UK food security, as our overall agricultural capacity will be undermined and irretrievably diminished.
Peter Walker, Shaftesbury
The Podcast
What a terrific idea the new podcast is - thank you so much! I love the BV, and look forward to it every month. It stands head and shoulders above other ‘free magazines’ for its intelligence, humour, and sheer interesting content. However - I am 73, and am not ashamed to admit that I do not love reading on my iPad for any length of time. Two days ago I wasn’t sure what a ‘podcast’ was (turns out it’s no different to an audiobook, really). But I have just spent a lovely afternoon baking in the kitchen, catching up on the April issue (I was one of those caught out by your technical issue last month). The podcast is the answer! I can now flip through the magazine to enjoy the stunning photography and art, and read the pages I love most. And now I can have the rest of it read to me! The voices you have selected are perfect (well done Jenny and Terry!), and on top of which, I achieved bonus points with my grandson when I told him on the phone ‘hold on while I pause my podcast’. Thank you BV team!
Mary Grey, Wincanton
Book corner
I have finally acted upon my monthly impulse to write and tell you (a fact which I am sure you already know) how excellent Wayne Winstone’s book choices are every single month. He never fails to lure me in with his choices and descriptions, and those that I have purchased have fulfilled his promises perfectly. I have found new popularity as “Bruton makes its bid for this years most confusing road signs…” Shared with us on Twitter by the Mayor of Bruton, Ewan Jones
the giver of perfect books for gifts, I have discovered new authors for myself, and every month my ‘To Be Read’ pile grows a little. How refreshing it is to find intellligent, thoughtful recommendations that are not simply the latest ‘big hits’, but rather a quiet, thoughtful look at one or two truly well-written titles that in my own experience have always been worth seeking out. It’s one of the must-read pages I flip to first. Thank you!
Karen Shaw, Wimborne
Learning how to read
I have noticed on your Index page that you encourage people to use the ‘clickable’ page numbers. I had ignored this advice for a while - I am 76 years old, I think I know how to turn the pages of a magazine - even a digital one. But last month I did not read the whole magazine in one go, as usual, and instead came back to it a few days later. I remembered I had stopped at the antiques, so I tried out the index clicking. Well. I now feel immensely clever. Because now I can really read the magazine the way I’ve always wanted to by using the index - the editors letter, then the letters page, the local history and Tales from the Vale, and then a check in with the deaths page. Back to the news, and then I can turn the pages as I wish until i reach the puzzles for a coffee break. It’s a marvel. Apologies for not catching on sooner. I am rather aware you have been saying this for many months!
Gwen Hines, Wincanton
(you’re not alone, Gwen - but i’m so glad you’ve worked it out. It’s such a big magazine most people take well over half an hour to read us so it makes sense to dip in and out - you do have a whole month til the next one, no need to rush it! - Ed)
Organised by the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show team, the new two-day event showcased rural life and crafts as well as live music, steam engines and classic cars. James Cox, Event Organiser said “We are over the moon with the responses to the Spring Countryside Show. We set out on this venture back in the autumn and never expected it to gain the momentum it has. We were joined by so many craft producers, local traders and skilled rural individuals. The feedback on social media has been incredible.” The BV team certainly had a great time! There was so much to see, but here’s our own personal highlights:
The Sheep Show
Brilliantly entertaining whilst being oddly educational - seriously do NOT miss this show when it’s back in the summer. Way more fun than one man and his sheep has any right to be.
The Farrier
For those of us not fortunate enough to have a horse, it’s a fascinating chance to see the farrier skills up close, and Sam is great at explaining as he goes
The Falconry display
I never miss the opportunity to watch Mere Down Falconry, it’s always a brilliant show. Made even more entertaining today by an unrepentantly bolshy falcon refusing to come home - he simply buzzed the crowd with flashy fly-bys, showing off his skills.
Heavy Horse Logging
It was amazing watching the team at work, and incredibly interesting to learn about the industry.
Jonathan Marshall’s Free Spirits Show
No one could walk past without stopping to watch the beauty of Jonathan’s Amadeus (yes, he’s been the Lloyds Bank black horse) and Aria the falcon. Not the show you’re expecting.
Terrier Racing
Hilarious! Think your dog has the speed? Enter them in the terrier racing (not just for terriers, we saw all sorts having a go) - it was just beautifully brilliant chaos. And the commentator was ace.
ALL THE FOODS!
Seriously. Cheese, gin, great burgers, hog roast, jams, chills, pancakes, doughnuts, sausage rolls, cakes, fudge...
“Lordy, lordy, with all the turmoil in the world it would be great to have a reprieve, and I thought it time to celebrate a local success” - Wayne
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, £14.99
Sophie Irwin (daughter of Mike and Louise who own Castle Gardens in Sherborne) has been snapped up by major publisher HarperCollins. Her debut novel is a delicious, sassy, Austen-tatious novel about women’s self-advancement in the 19th Century. The season is about to begin - and there’s not a minute to lose. Our heroine, Kitty Talbot, needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. This is 1818 after all, and only men have the privilege of seeking their own riches. With just twelve weeks until Kitty and her sisters are made homeless, launching herself into London society is the only avenue open to her. And Kitty must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks. The only one to see through her plans is the worldly Lord Radcliffe and he is determined to thwart her at any cost. Can Kitty secure a fortune and save her sisters from poverty? Time is running out and no one - not even a lord - will stand in her way...
Join us for a Talk and Signing with Sophie at Castle Gardens 17th May, 6.30 for 7pm, tickets £2 available from Winstone’s
The Sheep’s Tale by John Lewis-Stemple £12.99
An important book on several levels. Read a few sentences out loud, wherever you are: ‘We take a look at the Ryeland ewes, white and fat with fecundity. Replete with contentment.’ ‘Contentment is a transmissible condition. I catch it off the sheep. The old time shepherds used to sleep with their sheep, out in the fields. I do it sometimes too, on the dry nights, the sheep lying down around me. I’m not sure on those nights who is protecting whom.’ Everybody thinks they know what sheep are like: they’re stupid, noisy, cowardly (‘lambs to the slaughter’), and they’re ‘sheep-wrecking’ the environment.’ Or maybe not. Contrary to popular prejudice, sheep are among the smartest animals in the farmyard, fiercely loyal, forming long and lasting friendships. Sheep, farmed properly, are boons to biodiversity. They also happen to taste good and their fleeces warm us through the winter - indeed, John Lewis-Stempel’s family supplied the wool for Queen Elizabeth’s ‘hose’. Observing the traditional shepherd’s calendar, The Sheep’s Tale is a loving biography of ewes, lambs, and rams through the seasons. Lewis-Stempel tends to his flock with deep-rooted wisdom, ethical consideration, affection, and humour. This book is a tribute to all the sheep he has reared and sheared - from gregarious Action Ram to sweet Maid Marion. In his inimitable style, he shares the tales that only a shepherd can tell.
In 2022 Winstone’s celebrates 10 years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller. Winstone’s has won the ‘British Book Awards South West Bookseller of the Year’ four times and was winner of the ‘Independent Bookseller of the Year’ national award in 2016. Owner Wayne Winstone was previously one of the three judges for the Costa Prize for Fiction, and in 2018 Wayne was selected as one of the top 100 people in the Bookseller’s Most Influential Figures listing.
A host of golden Dorset talent
This year’s Dorset Art Weeks is bolder and brighter than ever with more than 250 exciting venues showcasing local talent. Edwina Baines gives a preview of her favourites Dorset Art Weeks runs from 14 - 29 MAY 2022
The return of the Dorset Art Weeks new style printed Directory, with full venue information, alongside an improved Dorset Art Weeks App, and details on the DAW website, is good news for us all. Artists will be looking forward to opening their doors again and larger venues are hosting group shows. With 257 venues it is impossible to give you more than a snapshot preview of the delights on offer - but to whet your appetites I have visited and chatted to artists from the six different County regions outlined in the Directory. I hope this helps with route planning!
Felice Hodges (East)
The drive from Blandford or Wimborne takes you through rolling countryside - and a visit to Felice’s exhibition in the stables of Abbey House, Witchampton will be well worth the journey. An American, who was brought up in New York before moving to the UK, Felice’s parents were collectors; thus she was exposed to art at an early age. She works in acrylic paints as well as inks, chalks, pastels, charcoal and collage. The abstract works emerge from a joyful yet thoughtful, sensitive feel for colour. “I’m a big fan of pink, an underused colour in art,” she told me with a laugh, “I like to challenge myself a lot, it’s constantly evolving.” Certain motifs reappear and there is a degree of spontaneity but serendipity may also play a part in a splash of ink. Without doubt, Felice is in complete control of her media.
Felice Hodges exhibition is in the stables of Abbey House, Witchampton Image Edwina Baines
Felice Hodges works in acrylic paints as well as inks, chalks, pastels, charcoal and collage. “I like to challenge myself a lot, it’s constantly evolving.” Image Edwina Baines
John Goodliffe (North East)
John is a sculptor working in Purbeck Marble, Shaftesbury Greensand and Portland Stone. His brother sent him off on a sculpture course on Portland, which precipitated his journey into understanding the geology and history of his materials. On show during DAW will be a range of sculptures will be on show in and around John’s lovely garden in Iwerne Minster. With views across to Preston Hill, this is an ideal location to view the work in a natural setting and admire the power and beauty of each piece. John showed me the various forms of stone with which he works: each has different properties and lends itself to various designs. For example, a piece of Greensand was
ART being turned into a pair of lizards, the colour and form of the stone lending itself to these reptiles; whereas the harsher beauty of the Portland stone was suited to more geometric designs and finer detail. Also in the beautiful village of Iwerne Minster (which boasts a pub and a village shop) are painters Saskia Darell and Kim Pragnell.
Claire Cameron (Purbeck)
Claire Cameron will take commissions to make a ‘pawtrait’ in clay to capture the personality of your pet in a unique sculpture. She also produces small stylised sculptures of dogs set on a scene of your choice, for example Kimmeridge, Durdle Door or Corfe Castle. She told me that “being able to combine my passion for ceramics with my love of dogs, means that each sculpture is an absolute privilege to make.” In a beautiful 19th century barn at Creech near Wareham, Claire is joined by Caroline Slark, (Kezmee Studio glass) and Ted Edley (The Dorset Copperfish). The latter is known for his truly unique metalwork sculptures and TV appearances on ‘Salvage Hunters: The Restorers’. His
Claire Cameron creates small stylised sculptures of dogs from her home in the Purbecks. Image Edwina Baines Local sculptor John Goodliffe from Iwerne Minster was sent on on a sculpture course on Portland by his brother, and has never looked back Image Edwina Baines.
works will also be on show in the FORM exhibition at Sculpture by the Lakes.
Vanessa Bowman (North West)
Vanessa’s studio is nestled at the top end of her lovely garden in the centre of Cattistock village. From here she paints in rich detail the simple beauty of her everyday surroundings observed in the garden or whilst out walking with her little white terrier. The vibrant colours of her still lifes and whimsical landscape illustrations have adorned numerous magazines, notebooks and greetings cards; a huge range of which will be on sale at special prices alongside her prints and original oil paintings. An assortment of her favourite jugs, vases, shells and knickknacks (most of which have been collected in flea markets over the years), line the studio shelves and feature in many works. Cattistock boasts a pub and a dear little
Podi Lawrence (South)
If you venture across to Portland then ensure you make a stop at Podi Lawrence’s Art studio in Fortunesewell. Her studio doubles as a gallery where space is shared with textile artist Antje Rook. Podi is a portrait and landscape painter but she also runs classes and annual Greek painting holidays in Kalymnos. She told me ”I have been teaching since 1988 and whatever their level, I love to help people on their creative journey. I still learn new ways and I’ve been painting professionally for at least fifty years.” She welcomes guests and is happy for them to browse and chat about her work. Six further artists also will be exhibiting at ArtSpace82 in Fortuneswell and there are six other venues to visit on Portland.
Barbara Green (West)
The turning to Whitchurch Canonicorum off the A35 at Morcombelake will lead you to Manscombe Abbey and on the slopes of the Hardown Hill, to Barbara Green’s delightful house and garden with stunning views across to Charmouth, Lyme Bay and the sea. Barbara is a regular contributor to Dorset Art Weeks and before entering the house and gallery, a mini art trail full of Barbara’s colourful, lively paintings, prints and etchings will guide the visitor through the garden. She is inspired, “… from walks along the coast and through the countryside of Dorset making sketches which capture the essence of the places seen. The constantly changing colours and textures of the area, the weather, the buildings and the people are all captured in my paintings.”
We are indeed lucky to have this patchwork of talent across Dorset so let’s make the most of the forthcoming weeks!
At Barbara Green’s home, with its stunning views across to Charmouth, Lyme Bay and the sea, visitors will enjoy a mini art trail full of Barbara’s colourful, lively paintings, prints and etchings through the garden before entering the house and gallery. Image Edwina Baines
Podi Lawrence in her studio in Fortuneswell. Podi has been a professional portrait and landscape painter for fifty years. Image Edwina Baines
Vanessa Bowman works from her studio in Cattistock. Her vibrant still lifes and whimsical landscape illustrations have adorned numerous magazines, notebooks and greetings cards. Image Edwina Baines
Don’t miss the stunning FORM at Sculpture by the Lakes
Once again, FORM brings a world-class exhibition of inspiring contemporary sculpture to Dorset, says Edwina Baines
The FORM exhibition returns to the stunning setting of Simon and Monique Gudgeon’s Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington, near Dorchester until the end of the month, to coincide with Dorset Art Weeks. This year it is more spell-binding than ever, with work from more than prestigious artists. The exhibition takes place around the 26 acre garden and lakes for the larger, monumental pieces - and smaller works are on display in the Gallery and in the Sculpture Courtyard. I was lucky enough to visit on a lovely sunny day and no sooner
had I parked than I was faced with the arresting cast bronze ‘Greer Guardian Angel’ figure by Ed Elliott. Greer means ‘alert, watchful’ and the sculpture has been cleverly placed at the edge of a reflecting pool feature to create a brooding image. The piece received the award for ‘Sculpture of the Year 2020’ at the Cotswold Sculpture Park. Ed Elliott is an award-winning sculptor specialising in large scale figurative pieces, who has received national acclaim for his innovative and emotive work in his distinctive style. Revived with a coffee and Danish pastry from the Artisan’s Pantry and a wander around the Bazaar, I aimed for the new ‘Gallery by the Lakes’ and was immediately confronted by Heather Jansch’s life-size driftwood horse ‘The Young Arabian’ and a bronze driftwood horse’s head ‘Shaker’. Heather, who sadly died last year, was a renowned British sculptor whose lifelong passion was to achieve mastery of the equine form.
Beautiful ‘Mouse in a Pod’
Some of my favourite pieces in the Gallery were by Adam Binder. I especially loved his ‘Mouse in a Pod’. The little mouse could be removed from his pea pod to nestle in one’s hand! Adam is one of Britain’s leading wildlife sculptors, whose signature fluid style of simple lines and flowing forms depicts both movement and emotion that beautifully captures the essence of his subjects. He has said ‘Nature is my passion and my constant distraction.’ There is an interesting story behind Nadine Collinson’s ‘To The Stars!’; the maquette for the full-size sculpture installed at the Silverlake Holiday Estate in Warmwell. Simon is soon hoping to install one of the editions on the lake at Pallington. Silverlake was a former RAF base and the piece was created as a homage to the RAF and the Spitfire, as well as a celebration of the local birdlife. The Spitfire’s acrobatic performance is represented in the looping trails of the birds which create a ring reflecting the RAF badge. As I made my way into the garden and towards the lakes I found Jane Shaw’s ‘Sherlock, the Mountain Goat’. She told me “The goat stands proud with attitude and comes alive when the sun brings out the vibrancy of the rust colour, bouncing off from the green surrounds. We have featured Jane’s work in the past and she has several more sculptures in the exhibition including ‘Electric Blue Hare’ and ‘Forever Friends’. “There is a huge number of unspoken words being said between the two lurchers in ‘Forever Friends’.” Jane went on ”and the hare is about to turn the corner at speed, provoking a feeling of energy and joy for anyone who manages to catch his glance.”
Mouse in a Pod by Adam Binder Image Edwina Baines
Hunting for goats!
It could have been Gill Parker’s ‘Cheetah’ who was hunting for goats as he crept through the sunlit woodland. This beautiful bronze is made by a sculptor who says “I never set out to be an artist” and who had no idea she could make a career “The hare is about out of her art. However, she has a passion for animals and nature and over the years she to turn the corner has become a leader in the field of equine and at speed, provoking wildlife sculpture. There are some lovely pieces a feeling of energy by her in the exhibition. and joy for anyone Finally, I have to mention Carl Longworth’s massive, imposing ‘Barn Owl III’. This who manages to exceptionally talented sculptor says “I wish only catch his glance” to capture the simple essence and movement of the beautiful”. The long, elegant lines and distinctive patination enhance the beauty of his stunning works. Please remember it is necessary to pre-book your ticket and no dogs or children under the age of fourteen are allowed onsite. As well as the Artisan’s Pantry where picnic goodies can be purchased, there is a lovely café where you can enjoy fresh produce from the gardens. It all makes for a wonderful day out. www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk
Blackcap in the blackthorn - Carl Bovis
Lady’s smock - Vicky Rehbein
We welcome photography submissions from readers - the only rule is that they must have been taken locally in the last month. Our cover shot is usually selected from our submissions pile. If you’d like to join in, please do one of the following: • use #BVPhoto and tag us on
Instagram (@theblackmorevale), • share it in the BV community Facebook Group • or simply email it to photos@theblackmorevale. co.uk.
Acorn weevil (real size 4mm!) - Marilyn Peddle
Dartford Warbler - Paul Dibben
The Barn - Meyrick Griffiths-Jones
Bluebell dreams in Fifehead Magdalen Woods - Claire Norris
Purple orchid in Garston Wood - Chris Robinson
St Catherine’s Chapel - Russell Parker
Witchampton songthrush - Nicky Newman
NIGHT SKY
by Rob Nolan
Champagne Supernova
(what you see occurred when dinosaurs roamed the earth!)
Now it’s easy to think at first glance that this isn’t a particularly great image, but bear with me. The reason this is such an interesting photo is because a supernova (designated SN 2022 HRS) in this little region of space near M60 (NGC 4649) - which is an elliptical galaxy approximately 57 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo - suddenly became visible to us just a couple of weeks ago, around the 16th April. It is also worth bearing in mind that a single light year is around six trillion miles, so this galaxy is possibly the furthest object I’ve intended to capture to date! There are many other ‘faint fuzzies’ in this image, making up the Virgo supercluster which is a huge swarm of 2,000 galaxies in this region of space. The Supernova shown magnified in this image actually happened 63 million years ago. To put that into perspective, this star all the way across the universe exploded in the biggest explosions that we as humans know about - but it actually happened when the dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth. However, it only just became visible to us on a seemingly ordinary day a couple of weeks ago. More amazingly, we saw it, realised, and now astronomers all over the world just like me are imaging it themselves, just days after it became apparent to us. I find that truly incredible, and its why I love this hobby! This image was captured only nine days after the Supernova appeared, and was captured using my bigger Sky-watcher Newtonian Reflector Telescope and Cooled Astro Camera.
The night sky, May 2022 - Rob’s guide for your stargazing this month:
We are in the midst of galaxy season now, and with the lighter evenings extending, long nights shooting are becoming scarce. The nights are still packed with celestial events though, if you’re prepared to get up early enough to see them! Highlights include close conjunctions of some of our neighbouring planets, a total lunar eclipse, meteors from Halley’s Comet and a possible storm of shooting stars towards the end of the month! So, grab those binoculars or your telescope and get ready to set those alarm clocks. Also on display this month are the bright stars Vega and Arcturus; look towards Vega on a dark moonless night, and you may be able to make out a fuzzy patch. This is the Great Cluster M13 in Hercules. A closely knit globular cluster of around 1 million stars. That particular cluster may feature as next months image, if I can get a good shot of it!
What to look out for
On the 6th of May, we’ll be treated to a display of shooting stars from the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Caused by tiny pieces of Halley’ Comets burning up in our atmosphere, you’ll need to look up in the early hours of the morning to catch the display. On the 13th May between 1:55 and 2:45am, the Moon moves in front of Porrima, a large star in the constellation Virgo. On the 16th May, there is the possibility of seeing a total lunar eclipse which should be visible from America, and parts of Europe and Africa. Here in the UK, the partial phase starts at 3:27am, reaching totality at 4:29am. Grab a pair of binoculars and look low towards the east to spot the crescent Moon sailing below Jupiter, Mars and Venus, on the respective nights of the 25th, 26th and 27th May. Another celestial event requiring an early dawn wake-up call! Before dawn on the 29th May, Mars passes below Jupiter, another one to observe with Binoculars. The second potential meteor shower on offer this month is provided courtesy of the debris from Comet Schwassam-Wachman-3, during the night of 31st May/1st June. This may produce a brief but intense storm of shooting stars, known as the Tau Herculid meteor shower, with the best views offered once again before dawn. The comet itself is still in the process of breaking up, a process which began when the comet first started to fracture in 1995.
